Editorial: Palm Beach wise to work with FPU during undergrounding

It was only recently that a town official told the Underground Utilities Task Force that the town is working with Florida Public Utilities to prevent gas leaks associated with construction to bury utility lines, when, well, you guessed it, another one occurred.

Despite that leak, improvements have been significant since the town began working closer with the utility.

Town Engineer Patricia Strayer said late last month — before the leak Wednesday in front of a home on North Lake Way — that there had not been any gas-line strikes since the town began closely coordinating with FPU and their contractors in December on the utilities burial project.

Prior to that, six combined gas-line strikes occurred during undergrounding work along South Ocean Boulevard and along Onondaga Avenue and Debra Lane between Sept. 26 and Nov. 27, she said.

She describe the strikes as “nicks” — and said there never was free-flowing gas in any of the incidents. But each nick requires that work stop immediately and that the Fire-Rescue Department secure the area until FPU has repaired the line. To correct the problem, FPU — which will not provide the town with maps of its lines citing security concerns — now sends an official from Heath Consultants to the dig sites daily instead of every two weeks or so.

That’s welcomed news, especially for such a large and costly long-term project.

The most-recent leak shows that work remains, but it is comforting to know FPU and town officials are keeping their eyes on the gas lines.